Can i get a short “worth the price” please to pull the trigger? 
1 Like
Short synapses,
PENON Turbo $549
Warm smooth. Trades details and dynamics for coloured lushness.
Meyer Audio SLIIVO SLT6
Mids balanced and neutral nor warm like Turbo , Sonion Mids vs Knowles mids in Turbo are more accurate and have more body. Knowles Highs in SLIIVO also way more resolving and detailed with accurate timbe and tonality over the more expensive Turbo with Sonion BA for highs. The TURBO’s highs are smoothed over and relaxed sounding thus the trade off details vs warmth. Now both have tuning switches but if dial back the bass of the Turbo you get more highs and again trading off more micro dynamics for a slightly more energetic top end.
Really depends on what your looking for.
Lush warm buy the Penon,
Clean clear neutral with better quality bass over bass quantity , better layering and stage easy win for the SLIIVO and save $150
4 Likes
I’ll not win here since i have Turbo Audiophile must loose!
Thank’s a lot! I know how labor-intensive it can be to write even a couple of paragraphs in which you are confident. Especially when IEMs have a lot in common.
1 Like
4 Likes
Looking forward to the comparison to SA6MK2. That SLT6 sounds like it’s a real winner.
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Thieaudio Hype 10
Musical is what Musical Does
Shout out to the Canuck Audioholics Anonymous review group.
NOTES:
Thieaudio is no stranger to those who are in the know. They have been designing and manufacturing quality products for some time now. The Hype 10 is the top of the Hype series coming in at $899usd. Thieaudio has a number of lines which include both iem and headphones topping out at the $1500usd Voyager V16 Divinity.
The Hype 10 has a driver compliment of two dynamic drivers and ten balanced armatures per side. Amongst the BA driver loadout genuine Knowles SWFK 31736 series ultra-tweeters from the USA, along with two Sonion E50DT midrange and two Sonion 28UAP bass drivers from Denmark are used. IMPACT2 (Impact Squared) is the name Thieaudio gives to their DD arrangement and design. There has been some back and forth in the online community over the use of the term “Isobaric” by Thieaudio with respect to the implementation of the DD’s. As usual I won’t dive too deep into the technicalities here as marketing aside, a product lives or dies by both how it sounds and the inherent quality of its manufacture. The Hype 10 is blessed with great bass regardless of the tech used or how it is described, point finale.
Fairly easy to drive, the Hype 10 is a resolving iem and deserves to be driven by a quality source. A more neutral or slightly warm source will offer great synergy. Tip selection is also not to be overlooked and I chose a wide bore moderately deep tip with good results.
Overall, I am impressed with the sound of the Hype 10. It has on many occasions been able to draw me into the music which made being critical, and writing this review, all the more difficult as the listening experience took over.
Read on to find out more.
SPECS:
Current Price: $899 (Linsoul)
Drivers: 2DD+10BA
Sensitivity: 105dB/Vrms@1KHz
Impedance: 18Ω@1KHz
Frequency Response:10Hz-40kHz
BUILD FIT & QUALITY:
The Thieaudio is an attractive if rather unassuming looking iem. A beautifully finished shiny black resin shell with tasteful caps to round out the look. Apparent quality of the shell is good with a seamless design.
I did not have on hand the full retail box but the review unit did arrive with its original cable which was terminated in my fav the 4.4mm balanced plug. The cable is quite nice with good haptics.
The Hype 10 is on the larger size but its shape afforded a great fit. It is a chunky shape to be sure, but fit was never an issue even for longer listening sessions. Tip selection will be crucial here not only for sound synergy, but to achieve a secure fit.
SOUND:
BASS:
The Hype 10 has a bass that goes deep with ample texturing and definition. Impact and rumble are there in quantity when the track calls for it although I would not call the Hype 10 a “Basshead” iem as that would detract from the experience. Still bass power is imprressive
Listening to “Stella” by A Guy Called Gerald, bass was impressive with it’s organic weight and thickness while remaining solid and composed.
The next track I used was “In Passing” by the Robert Glasper Trio which includes an extended double bass solo. The Hype 10 attributed itself well with a natural presentation that highlighted the quality of bass that the Hype 10 is capable of. It was easy to discern how the gifted Bob Hunt was playing his instrument.
Moving on to “Chocolate Chip Trip” by Tool the kick drums had all the power and snap I could ask for while exhibiting great control. Likewise, for pretty much any bass laden track I could throw at the Hype 10. The bass shelf becomes prominent low enough that it does not interfere with the midrange.
The bass adds to the immersive quality of the Hype 10 and there is a feeling that nothing is missed. Bass in engaging and serves as a high quality foundation to the rest of the frequency range. Very well done.
MIDRANGE:
The Thieaudio Hype 10 has a midrange that has an organic presentation with a good mix of macro and micro detail retrieval and no harshness. There is some warmth noted, here but kept moderate enough not to be a distraction. Note weight is natural and well defined.
The Hype 10 is one of a handful of iem that can really pull me into the music. This, in no small part, is due to how natural the midrange sounds. Timbre is commendable and this was on display when listening to tracks such as “He’s A Carioca” by Eden Atwood. The guitar sounding lush and natural with her voice clear and expressive. Listening to “Zero Zero” by Dephazz I was impressed with the organics and this carried over to the sound of the horns on the track “Zin Zin (For My Wife)” by Kriz.
Transients are handled well with a nice sharp leading edge and natural decay. Layering and separation also rate highly but, on those metrics, there are other competitors in the price range. The Hype 10 sounding opened and unrestrained with all the genres I could throw at it. It is also fairly forgiving of less than perfectly recorded music.
Both male and female vocals sound clean and expressive with great clarity. I did find that female vocals were just a touch more recessed than male, but this was never a distraction.
The Thielaudio Hype 10 has a midrange that is organic, smooth and open. Thieaudio have done a marvelous job in tuning the Hype 10’s mids.
TREBLE:
The treble is clean and crisp with ample detail retrieval. There are also present good quantities of air and sparkle with no harshness noted. Very rarely I did note how cymbal strikes while sounding fantastic did tend to decay a little quicker than normal. Still, this was not always evident and unless listening with a critical ear, was not usually heard.
The treble really “shines”, pun intended, with great clarity mirroring the qualities in the bass and midrange. There is a sweetness to the treble that is alluring.
IMAGING AND SOUNDSTAGE:
The Thieaudio Hype 10 offers up a spacious soundstage. Imaging within those confines is precise with great layering. No one dimension is overemphasized which adds to the natural presentation.
The illusion of space and being able to discern the dimensions of a venue are well done as well.
VERSUS:
-Meze Advar-
While the Advar can be had for somewhat less cash these days, they do have some similarities with respect to sound. Bass is thicker, more solid and forceful on the Hype 10 with overall better definition and texturing. Moving on to the midrange, the Advar offers leaner sonics but is arguably less recessed vocals, although neither is on its own and I’m splitting hairs here. Treble is great on both with the Hype 10 being more extended and crisper, but each leaning towards an organic sound that I find enjoyable.
CONCLUSION:
Thieaudio have done an admirable job with the Hype 10. In both form and function the Hype 10 is a great example of a quality product. Sound wise we have a balanced sound with sub-bass emphasis. Clean open sonics and natural playback with good technicalities.
At $899usd, the Hype 10 is NOT a budget set and there is much competition in this pricing range. Still, it is one of the few iem that can really pull the listener into the music and that is not as common in the iem space regardless of price.
The Theiaudio Hype 10 gets a strong recommendation.
9 Likes
Vreat review Bennet thanks so much for sharing 
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It’s not a soundstage…it’s an amphitheater
2 Likes
It is impressive!
EPZ Audio these are so good they went through the wash and came out cleaner sounding!
EPZ Q1 PRO for the Win!
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Singapore’s Special TWS,
Alpha & Delta KS100
Price to performance is off the hook!
Built like a tank
Full functions Volume , call and guide function , track forward and back, play pause…
Comes in two flavors Single DD bassy , warm smooth or 1+1 more Audiophile more extention and balanced sound signature 
4 Colour choices BLUE, WHITE, BLACK & PINK
6HR TWS Playtime with a charge case with a additional 120 hours of back up charging
Qualcomm BT 5.2 reciever chips set for a insane amount of high quality connectivity distance
I measured real world testing of a insanely huge 170’ Line of site and 48’ through walls and door!
NO SOUND TUBES means open spacious stage real Audiophile sound quality and shows a fantastic detail to design build and tuning.
Bassy DD version is your workout buddy with IPX5 Min Waterproof ratings!
aptX codes support real premium wireless audio
1+1 Is your Audiophile tuning leaves nothing to be desired full HiRes - should have the gold sticker!
Premium charging case is another well thought out design and build very solidly.
That resin shell is a like a semi custom design with curves and bumps in all the right places.
Fit and stay ability first rate.
Voice sounds like a little school girl some serious Voicefu
no protective carry case for the case
Highly recommended! Monk Approved
Full review here.
.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTQCBKYH?th=1
1 Like
How are the Artti R2s?
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Very smooth balanced and chill little brother of R1
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Thanks to Simgot for the Review sample.
Shout Out to the Canuck Audioholics Anonymous group:
NOTES:
Simgot has been around a while but has risen to prominence over the last year or so and is now a brand that is widely recognized. The EA500 LM, $90usd, is the second iteration of the celebrated OG EA500 and the shell design is pretty much identical. It is the sound that has changed, and for the better.
Driver compliment is still a single dynamic driver consisting of a Lithium-Magnesium dome diaphragm. This is the first major change from the original EA500. Simgot claims that this material is even lighter than pure Beryllium. A second generation dual-magnetic and dual-cavity is also employed with tech taken straight out of the more expensive EA1000. Marketing aside, it’s always the sound that counts in the end. There is a choice of three tuning nozzles provided and I found that for my listening preferences and evaluation the red nozzle was best.
Easy to drive, the EA500 LM is at home with most sources driving it. Tip selection, as per usual, is not to be overlooked as well. Comparisons with the original EA500 have to be made.
Read on to find out more.
SPECS:
Impedance: 21Ω±15%(@1kHz)
Sensitivity: 123dB/Vrms (@1kHz Gold Copper nozzle & Red Silicone Ring)
123dB/Vrms (@1kHz Silver Steel nozzle & Red Silicone Ring)
124dB/Vrms (@1kHz Silver Steel nozzle & Black Silicone Ring)
Frequency response range: 10Hz-50kHz
Effective frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz
Connector: 0.78mm 2-pin
Cable material: high-purity silver-plated OFC cable
PRICE: $89.99 USD
BUILD FIT & QUALITY:
The Simgot EA500 LM shares the same physical characteristics as the original. Fit and finish are commendable as with the apparent quality. The included accessories include the tuning nozzles, a set of tips and case. The stock cable is good looking with ok haptics but nothing special at this price range.
Fit was not an issue as the EA500 LM is of medium sized with a moderately protruding nozzle. Simgot are following their usual high standards with respect to fit and finish. The retail packaging is also nicely done and interesting both to look at and the unboxing experience.
SOUND:
BASS:
One of the major criticisms of the original EA500 was that it had good quality bass but lacked power and impact. This led to many, including myself, to mod the OG with a duct cover mod. The EA500 LM has that bass the OG was missing. In fact, the LM sounds like the og with the bass mod, but with a step up in refinement.
Bass goes deep and has a pleasing roundness to it. There is a snappiness to the low end which has good speed and acceptable amounts of texturing and definition. Bass comes alive at moderate to higher levels revealing pleasing quantities of slam. The LM is not a basshead iem, but one with bass I did enjoy.
On the track “In Passing” by the Robert Glasper trio, the LM represented itself well with vibrant reproduction of the double bass. On “Poem of the Chinese Drum” by Yim Hok-Man the LM did well with good if not visceral impact. It was noted that the bass decay was somewhat slower than I would have liked which could on bass busy tracks cause some blurring but it is track dependant. Of course, I’m being critical here but that’s what reviews are for.
The EA500LM is a definite improvement over the original with stronger bass output and further refinement.
MIDRANGE:
The midrange sounds open and detailed if a little analytical yet not enough to sound cold. Vocals do stand out in the mix usually in front of the instruments. Sound is lively and engaging with little harshness. The mid-bass does add just a touch of warmth to the lower mids but not enough to be distracting. There is an upper midrange emphasis that is well controlled but with the other nozzles I found a tad excessive at times.
Male vocals had acceptable weight with just a touch of warmth. Listening to “Closer to Heaven” by the incredible Phil Perry, his vocals came through with great clarity. “Sweet Love” by Anita Baker was a similar experience.
The midrange has a lushness to it and the level of detail retrieval was impressive. The LM also did well with busy tracks such as “Beautiful Lie” by Vick Lavander. Layering and separation were good, but not class leading, keeping all the musical instruments in their place and discernable. This clarity though did suffer at higher volume levels with the soundscape tending to flatten out. I admit to not being drawn into the music as much as I would have liked, yet still enjoying the listening experience.
Timbre was good but depending on the nozzle used can make some stringed and woodwind instruments take on an overly bright signature that was just south of natural. Note wight was acceptable and transient handling was good as well with nice sharp impact and natural falloff.
TREBLE:
The Simgot EA500LM offers a treble that is reasonably extended with a nice smoothness to it. This is not a shy treble presentation yet does not get harsh. I found that the treble, with the right nozzle choice, was pleasing with good definition and energy yet never overpowering the rest of the music. Air and sparkle were present in quantity.
Compared to the original EA500 the treble on the LM was definitely more refined. Treble with the LM has a more natural sound with even better control which contributed to the open sonics the LM relays.
IMAGING AND SOUNDSTAGE:
The Simgot EA500 LM offers a moderately expansive soundstage with good height but to a lesser extent depth. Instrument placement within that soundstage was fine and the LM never sounding congested unless pushed hard.
VERSUS:
-Simgot EA500-
There are definite differences between the OG and the LM. Bass is more prominent, though far from basshead on either, with the LM. What it all boils down to is refinement. The LM variant just sounds more refined throughout the frequency range as compared to the original. With a few simple mods the EA500 can come close to the LM but not quite. Still not necessarily an upgrade for OG owners.
CONCLUSION:
Simgot has again graced us with a pleasant sounding iem. The tuning choices afforded by the nozzles is welcomed and makes the EA500 LM more of a crowd pleaser. The LM is a step up in refinement as compared to the original EA500 and I would say is a better choice for those who are newly looking for an iem in this price range rather than existing EA500 owners, in particular if they are willing to do a few easy mods. That being said the EA500 LM is definitely an iem that should be on anyone’s shortlist when shopping in this price range.
7 Likes
I guess I’m one of the few not booking a seat on the EA500 LM hype train. I tested it extensively last week, along with the Letshuoer Galileo.
No question the individual technicalities and detail of the EA500 LM are terrific, especially at the sub-$100 price point. Truly impressive. But those qualities and detail just don’t feel cohesive to me. They feel like individual parts not well blended.
I’m just not crazy about the EA500 LM’s tonality. It’s just a bit too V-shaped for me, as I found the vocals to be recessed a bit in the mids. Maybe my ears and brain were biased by A/B testing with the Galileo, which features prominent vocals that border on shouty on some tracks.
The signature is fun but exaggerated. Everything is in your face. These are not subtle IEMs. Energetic as hell, if that’s your thing. To quote the great Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap, “This one goes to 11.” 
Either way, I just didn’t get lost in the music with the EA500 LM like I expected. I was more annoyed by sonic qualities I didn’t like than entranced by the entire musical package. I put tone and timbre ahead of technicalities, and frankly, if the Galileo had a bit more bass and treble extension, I would have chosen it over the EA500 LM. Suits my tastes better.
But … both were returned. Still searching for Goldilocks around $100-150.
5 Likes
Maybe you dont need to go that high try the EPZ Q1 PRO.
1 Like
Two for your radar
Both Insanely good sound & value.
Full reviews soon.
Both from a OEM manufacturer called Meyer Audio
Selling under the Brand name SLIIVO
6BA model called the SLT6 $420
And the 1+4 SL41 $180
6BA sounds like a balanced fun and well extended iem
Going to do a 3 way shootout with DUNU SA6MKii , Penon Turbo
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKZUkw6
1+4 Sounds like a monitor speaker with a killer sub bass surprise kick.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mLJERZ8
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Thanks for tip! Enjoy your vids, man. Keep up good work.
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ToneDeafMonk
My first discovery for 2024.
MeyerAuduo SLIIVO SL41 a 1+4
What I loved:
A monitor like tuning with Nitrous Boosted beautiful bass
Smooth flat mids so tastefully tuned as to bring out the nuances and mico details that should not be possible in this price.
Correct tonality and timbre over musical lushness or colorization.
That bump at 2.5k right at the perfect ear gain is a thing of beauty. Adds in just enough upper mids & treble to make the SL41 a not perfect monitor but a slightly enhanced musical fun IEM
The spacial clues for instruments and vocals and allowing them the play in thier own space is breathtaking. Only bettered by the FF Grand Maestro, Softears Twilight and Plunge Audio Unity so far from all the units this monk has had ears on.
Cable is Baller the same Limpid Cable from Juzears.
Needed some time to get used of the tuning otherwise. If you are used to a Harmon or V shaped tunings it will be different.
Not a forgiving IEM bad recordings will sound bad.
Just found this amazing item on AliExpress. Check it out!
C$225.38 51%OFF | SLIIVO 1DD+4BA IEM Hybrid Technology In-Ear Headphones 10 Drivers Hifi In-Ear Monitor 2-Pin Balanced Plug Noise Cancelling
https://a.aliexpress.com/_msnmViI
5 Likes